About

$47,801

pledged of $45,000 goal

779

backers

The Tabletop Doppelganger:

The Tabletop Doppelganger is a
customizable playing piece that can replace any role playing game or board
playing game piece. This piece has a 1”
by 1” square base and an LCD screen on the front and back, and allows you to
upload photos to the piece through a USB connection to your computer. You can
then use the buttons on the top of the piece to select a photo loaded to the
piece, and use the piece in place of any RPG, d20 game or board game playing
piece.

With the capacity to hold over 30
pictures, you can carry all of your RPG characters on one piece simply by
uploading photos of your favorites to the Doppelganger. You can add multiple pictures
of your characters performing various actions, such as fighting, raging,
singing, casting spells, or using different weapons, and change the photos on the displays as your characters perform different actions. You can even play with characters and monsters
that you do not have in miniature form, since you can simply add the pictures
of these characters to the piece!

With the Doppelganger, you will no longer need to use tokens, or generic figures that do not accurately represent
characters and monsters, since the Doppelganger can hold the photos of any
character and replace any miniature. If you are the Game Master of a role
playing game, you can upload all of the monsters needed for your session before
or during gameplay and you will no longer have to carry or transport multiple figures.

The piece can also act as the
ultimate life counter for card games where players are allowed to see your life
total, since you can add a picture that not only shows the character but
includes the character’s statistics. The Doppelganger can even replace the
pieces in traditional board games, since the base size is the same size as the
squares on most game boards. This piece can also replace any missing or lost
game token, no matter what game you are playing – simply add a photo to the
Doppelganger to represent the piece!

The Doppelganger also adds a whole new level
of creativity to your gameplay. You can load photos of your own artwork, play
with characters you create, or even add yourself to any game by loading
your own photo to the piece. The Tabletop Doppelganger can revolutionize the
way you play, and the uses for this piece are practically endless.

I came up with the idea for this piece after many years of playing RPG games that had thousands of monsters to choose from. Even though the gamers I played with had hundreds of figures, we would often lack the just the right ones. We would then have to use replacement tokens or 1" discs with numbers on them to represent the monster. I saw that this is a common issue among gamers, and I decided to create a substitute that could not only stand in for monsters you do not have in figure form, but also for monsters that did not have figures available to buy.

I then realized that this piece, with its capacity for holding pictures, could give gamers of all kinds of new way to play and add an entirely new level of creativity to board games.

Upload your own paintings or photos!

Reward selections less than $100:

Add $20 to any reward of less than $100 to receive 1 extra Doppelganger.

Add $15 to any reward to add a carrying case. (Extra Doppelganger and case, add $35)

Reward selections $100 or more:

Add $10 to any reward of $100 or more to receive 1 extra Doppelganger

Add $15 to any reward to add a carrying case. (Extra Doppelganger and case, add $25)

Note: Pledges for the $225 reward may not add an extra Doppelganger (Kickstarter limit is 10), but they will receive a free Carrying case!

Add $15 to any reward to receive a carrying case!

The carrying case has foam and felt interior to protect the doppelganger and other figures.

Concept to Final Product:

I have been developing board games for eight years now, and I have also been playing role playing games for almost twenty years. In the last two years, I noticed that one of the biggest problems at my gaming table was the availability of the figures and pieces needed to play the game or complete the quest. Usually, if we didn't have the right figure for a monster or character, we would have to use another figure of a smilar size or use a generic stand in its place. This problem wasn't limited to role playing games, either, as I found that trying to replace missing or broken board game pieces was a common issue for people that enjoy playing board games of all kinds.

Once I identified this problem, I set out to make something to solve it. My first idea was a transformable figure, or a Transfomer-like figure that could become multiple characters or game pieces. But after more thought and research it was obvious that this type of figure wasn't going to work - it would be difficult to manufacture and would be limited in the number of figures it could become. But the idea of a single figure that could become or replace multipe figures led me to imagine a virtual table top figure, one that would have a single LCD screen display, lay flat on the game board and allow players to download photos to the piece from a computer via a USB cord. I created a prototype of this 1"x1" flat piece with a single LCD screen, but this still did not satisfy my needs, since the LCD screen could not be easily viewed when it lay flat on the table.

I then came up with the idea for a piece that would stand upright and have not one, but two LCD screens, arranged back to back. I made a few prototypes of this two-screened game piece until I had the base size and thickness in the correct dimensions to support the two screens. Once I had the base, I acquired the parts to make a demo piece that would hold the photos and named this new design the Table Top Doppelganger (TTD).I then contacted a manufacturer from Utah, RPH Engineering, and confirmed that they could provide the pieces, USB cords and packaging for the Doppelganger once I acquired the funding needed to start production. Starting production for this product will cost an estimated $15,000. The final design will be made of a black plastic frame with a 1"x1" base that will support 2 LCD display screens back to back.

Manufacturing plan:

With the initial $15,000 earned towards my goal of $45,000, I will be able to begin production by working with RPH Engineering. They will use these start-up funds to create molds for the plastic base and frame, assemble the LCD screens and program the devices. They will then provide me with proofs before beginning the intial production run.

Once the intital molds and pieces are created and the proofs are approved, I can place an order for additional pieces. I plan to order 1500 once the engineers have the equipment they need, and they will prepackage the Table Top Doppelganger pieces and the USB cords. I will then distribute and sell the first 1500 Doppelgangers, with the goal of selling all of these and eventually ordering and selling 3500 more.

With funding and support, it is my hope to expand the Table Top Doppelganger's capacities, functions and design. I would like to eventually look into offering Doppelgangers in different colors other than black, create pieces with a 2"x2" or 3"x3" base and bases of different shapes, and add to the memory of the Doppelganger so that it can hold more photos.

Growing list of uses for the Doppelganger

Doppelganger Uses

1.Becomes multiple figures- can hold up to 30
pictures for 30 different figures.

2.A life counter for collectable card games.

3.Put yourself into the game.

4.Post your figure’s stats on the game piece.

5.Change your figure’s equipment.

6.Represent your character’s status (raging,
singing, sleeping)

7.Create a board game/RPG game and use TTDs as the
game pieces.

8.Replace a lost board game piece.

9. Duplicate or clone a figure that you own.

10. Show a creature at a different size.

11. Display a portal

12. Use as a reference card to display phases of a turn or
point system

13. Upload a small deck of cards

14. Take your figure to a convention without worrying about
losing it or chipping the paint.

15. It can be an extra piece for games that limit the number
of players.

16. Show an object, like a fire or a treasure chest.

17. Transform a picture or drawing you created into a figure.

18. Post the character/monster’s Armor class right on their picture.

19. Show unique traits of your figure (i.e. a Halfling with purple hair).

20. Show an open or closed door.

Goal: $45,000. This will cover the intial costs of production and rewards.

Stretch Goals:

$50,000: Hexagon bases will be available for the Doppelganger.

$55,000: The Frame of the Doppelganger will be available in Silver.

$60,000: We will be able to increase the battery life of the 1" Doppelganger. (Locked)

$65,000: A web site will be created to organize images that can be freely downloaded for use with the Doppelganger. (Locked)

$80,000: We will be able to produce 2” Doppelgangers for large
creatures. These will have round bases
and larger screens! Everyone who pledges $60 or more will receive one! (Locked)

$100,000: All Doppelgangers will be upgraded to hold at least 75 pictures. (Locked)

$125,000: We will be able to produce 3” Doppelgangers for huge creatures.
These will have round bases and even larger screens! Everyone who pledges $100
or more will receive one! (Locked)

$130,000: We will be able to increase the battery life for 2” and larger
Doppelgangers. (Locked)

$150,000: We will be able to produce 4” Doppelgangers for giant
creatures. These will have square bases and even larger screens! Everyone who
pledges $100 of more will receive one! (Locked)

$160,000: Unlock to see Reward and more stretch goals will
be added. (Locked)

Risks and challenges

I am in touch with a manufacturer, RPH Engineering of Utah. Since I am working with them and not producing the pieces myself, I will need to personally test the product and work out any glitches or bugs before supplying the pieces to customers. This could possibly cause unforseen delays, but I am hoping that by staying in close contact with the manufacturer and immediately addressing any issues that come up that any problems will be quickly resolved.

Also, the size of our initial run of Dopplegangers will determine when shipments can be sent out, which may delay the release of the first orders.

My mission is to get the base of the Doppleganger as thin as possible, while still keeping the battey life and storage capacity as high as possible. The current battery life for the Doppelganger is about 4 hours of continuous run time, which may not be enough for playing longer games such as role playing games. I am hoping to increase this to 8 hours or more as soon as possible, once the initial proofs and pieces have been produced.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $150 or more
About $150

Receive 4 Doppelgangers and Your name will be listed as a supporter on the Doppelganger Website. Have your photo/artwork pre-programmed onto all Doppelgangers. Also you may be eligable for rewards from stretch goals.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $500 or more
About $500

Receive 10 Doppelgangers and Also you may be eligable for rewards from stretch goals. Your name will be listed as a Doppelganger level supporter. You and a friend can have a game day and night with the creator of the Doppelganger. You must provide your own travel arrangements. This is for almost any day in June 2013.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $500 or more
About $500

Receive 10 Doppelgangers and Also you may be eligable for rewards from stretch goals. Your name will be listed as a Doppelganger level supporter. You and a friend can have a game day and night with the creator of the Doppelganger. You must provide your own travel arrangements. This is for almost any day in July 2013.